BALANGIR: The district administration is all set to open seasonal hostels for children of migrant labourers.

At present, 101 hostels are functioning in the district where 3,070 children are staying. Last year, the administration had opened 106 centres in which 3,621 children were accommodated.

Sources said this year the State Government has set a target of 5,000 children of migrant workers for the district administration to be accommodated in the seasonal hostels. The hostels will be opened in Bangomunda, Turekela, Muribahal, Belpara, Patnagarh and Khaprakhol blocks of the district.

As per the guidelines, the survey for identification of migrant families will be conducted and a proposal will be submitted to the State Government for opening the hostels by the Education Department of the district. During their six to eight months stay at the hostels, education will be provided to them.

Sources said huge distress migration occurs every year from Balangir and other KBK districts to brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh due to lack of work after kharif crop.

The number of migrant workers is estimated to be around two lakh and the number of migrant children is around 25,000.

The district Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is also providing all technical support to the district administration in opening and management of the hostels.

District Project Coordinator of Sarva Sikshya Abhiyan (SSA) Dhananjay Mohapatra said seasonal hostels will be set up in the migration-prone villages before they migrate to other States.

Consultation meetings with migrating parents are going on to finalise locations for the proposed centres.

Similarly, recruitment of caretakers, village-level education coordinators and cook for hostels will be conducted soon, he added.